Sadiq Khan’s crime epidemic spreads underground as assaults on TfL staff rocket

Assaults on TfL staff have jumped by 25 percent since the end of 2016, with the number of assaults involving a knife up by 84 percent.GLA Conservatives transport spokesman Keith Prince blamed the increase on Sadiq Khan’s “misplaced priorities and misguided decisions”.

The number of physical assaults on Transport for London (TfL) staff has jumped by nearly 25 percent over the past three years, official figures show.

Statistics obtained by the GLA Conservatives reveal that there have been 1745 assaults on staff since November 2016, with the yearly number of attacks rising from 505 in November 2016 – October 2017 to 628 in November 2018 – October 2019.

The findings also show that a growing number of TfL staff are being threatened with knives, with the instances of assaults involving a blade rising by 84 percent from 19 to 35 over the period. 

Commenting, GLA Conservatives' transport spokesman Keith Prince said:

“It is deeply concerning that Sadiq Khan’s crime epidemic has spread underground, with our hard-working TfL staff increasingly becoming victims of heinous physical assault, including knife attacks.

“Make no mistake, this unacceptable increase in violence towards TfL staff has come about directly as a result of Sadiq Khan’s misplaced priorities and misguided decisions. Had the Mayor not decided to scale back stop and search, there would be fewer knives on the streets our city. If he had opted to invest in policing rather than splurging millions on City Hall waste and press officers, there would be thousands more police officers on our streets keeping Londoners safe.

“Like all Londoners, our brilliant TfL workers desperately need a Mayor who will keep them safe."